What to know
- Presentation Day/Time: Wednesday, April 23, 1:00–2:25 pm
- Presenter: Katherine Strelau, PhD, EIS officer assigned to the Vermont Department of Health
What did we do?
- We described an Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) disease case in a Vermont resident, the first since 2012, and EEEV mosquito surveillance data during 2024 and compare these data with prior years to detect heightened disease risk and implement prevention measures.
What did we find?
- On July 16, 2024, a 41-year-old person experiencing homelessness was brought to an emergency department with signs and symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and altered mental status. The patient required intensive care and mechanical ventilation but eventually survived with ongoing neurologic sequelae.
- In 2024, mosquito pools first tested EEEV-positive during July 21–27, and over the season, 86 of 4,490 pools tested positive across 17 towns.
- In 2023, 14 of 4,031 mosquito pools tested positive across three of the 17 towns.
- During 2017-2022, no mosquito pools tested positive for EEEV.
Why does it matter?
- EEEV can cause severe neuroinvasive disease. Approximately one third of patients with neurologic disease die, and half of survivors experience long-term neurologic sequelae.
- VDH detected increased EEEV activity in mosquitoes during the 2024 arboviral season in Vermont compared with prior years and identified the first human disease case in >10 years.
- In response, VDH and community partners provided prevention messaging and insect repellant wipes to persons experiencing homelessness and recommended that persons in high-risk areas limit evening time outdoors to avoid mosquitoes.
***This presentation has updated data that will be shared at the EIS Conference.
Abstract Category: Eastern Equine Encephalitis